Leading French carrier Air France has announced a significant extension of its popular direct air link between Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport and Punta Cana, pushing the end date of operations to May 1, 2027. The extension adds more than four additional weeks of service beyond the route’s original scope, which was only scheduled to run through the winter travel season.
Per the airline’s recently updated official flight schedule, Air France will operate three weekly round-trip flights on the route starting November 30, 2026, all served by Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The extended service window is strategically timed to cover France’s spring school holiday period, a peak travel window for domestic and regional European travelers.
This is not the first shift for the Paris-Punta Cana route: Air France temporarily paused all operations on the corridor back in 2023, before revealing plans to reinstate three weekly winter services for the 2025-2026 travel season. The latest extension marks a long-term commitment to connecting the two destinations, replacing the earlier limited winter-only model.
For the Dominican Republic’s $10 billion tourism sector, the extended route comes at a critical moment. France stands as one of the Caribbean nation’s longest-standing and most important source markets for European travelers, and the Dominican government and tourism industry have made expanding visitor numbers from France a top strategic priority in recent years. Extending the direct service into spring opens an entirely new travel window for French and European tourists, creating more flexibility for trip planning beyond the typical winter sun getaway.
Beyond drawing travelers directly from France, the direct connection to Air France’s Charles de Gaulle hub opens up new travel access for visitors from across the entire European continent. Passengers from dozens of regional European markets can connect through Paris with minimal layover time to reach Punta Cana, eliminating the need for connecting flights through other Caribbean or North American hubs that add hours to travel time.
The longer operating season also gives Dominican tourism promoters a unique opportunity to showcase the country’s diverse attractions far beyond its reputation as a winter beach destination. Through the extended spring service, stakeholders can highlight Punta Cana and the surrounding region’s growing range of offerings, including tropical nature excursions, cultural heritage sites, world-class local gastronomy, and adventure tourism experiences that appeal to a broader range of traveler interests.